Lukewarm Goodbyes
by VoiceInTheDarkness
Summary: When the gamekeepers decide to bring Peeta back as a mutt Katniss loses the will to fight. A random one-shot I wrote some time ago. Rated teen for death and other such events.


I feel Mutt-Peeta slashing away at my arm. I raise the knife in my hand up, but I can't hurt him. I feel my arm drop down, but my fingers don't let go of the knife. My mind shuts down as I stare into Mutt-Peeta's eyes. Does he remember me at all? If I just die here-and dying is sounding more appealing every second, would he be crowned victor?

Mutt-Peeta finally gets tiered of carving pictures into my arm. With one quick move he cuts my arm clean off from the shoulder. I don't even notice, all I can do is stare at those blue eyes, wishing they'd loose the mad look in them. That he would smile at me and tell me that everything will be okay when we get back to district 12.

Mutt-Peeta ties his jacket over the wound on my arm. "Can't have you dyeing just yet, gotta put on a show first." He hisses in my ear. Then he grabs Peeta's locket from the chain around my neck, ripping it off and flinging it aside.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH THAT YOU MUTT!" I scream digging my knife into his arm, smiling in satisfaction as blood spatters my face. I've hit an artery. I'm about to push the knife in further when I realize his eyes have changed. The mad look is gone. He's Peeta again.

Of course. The game makers brought Peeta back to life, but only took control over him long enough for me to land a mortal wound on him. So that the audience would get to see Peeta die in my arms.

"Katniss…" Peeta's whisper brings me back to the present.I rip Peetas shirt off him and clumsily tie it around his wound, but its hard to do with only one arm, and I've lost a lot of blood by now and my vision is wavering.

"It's all right Peeta. H-Haymitch will sent us something to fix you up. Haymitch! HAYMITCH!" I'm screaming and crying Peeta's just looking at the stump of my right arm, and I think maybe he remembers cutting it off because he looks like he might be sick. I throw my arm around Peeta's neck, because I'm scared that if I let go he'll die again. "HAYMITCH! PLEASE!" I'm shaking now and my vision is fading and I can barely feel Peeta in my arms any more when he points to the sky and says "He did it." I jump up and grab the parachute when its still a good 7 feet from the ground. I tear it open but when I look theres only a tissue inside.

Haymitch. Could he really be so drunk right now that he sent me a tissue instead of the bandages I need to save Peeta. I put the tissue over the knife wound on Peeta and I grab his locket. "I was going to win for you Peeta." I say because I can't think of anything else and I'm hoping that if I keep talking I'll just bleed to death and not have to deal with any of this anymore. But the knot on Peeta's jacket has come undone and I know I can't tie it because I cant move my fingers and I'm crying too hard. Peetas cannon fires, and I feel him drop from my arm.

I think I hear myself being announced the victor but I don't know because I pass out only a little later after Peeta did.

When I wake up the first thing I think is 'That dirty lying bastard.' I'm so angry at Haymitch for what he did. He should have sent nothing at all if he was just going to send a tissue. "WE HAD A DEAL HAYMITCH! WE HAD A DEAL!" I scream until they my voice goes away and after that I smash my head against the bed hoping I'll just die but the doctors knock me out before I can do any real damage.

I don't remember what happened after that. I remember digging my nails into Haymitch's neck until guards drag me off of him on stage, but I don't remember anything Caesar says. I don't remember anything until one day I find myself in my bed in the victors village. I get up and grab a bag of money out of the stash I had hidden for Prims birthday, and go down stairs. Prim sees me and says something but I don't hear her. I brush her aside. I find my mother in the kitchen. Gale and Heather are there too. They all light up when they see me, and my mother takes a few steps toward me when I yell at her to stop.

She freezes and glances at Gale. "Katniss, your not in the arena anymore-" My mother begins but I cut her off. "Bring him back." I demand.

My mothers face darkens, and she unconsciously takes a step back. "Bring who back Katniss?" she asks in a confused voice.

This infuriates me. "Peeta!" I scream at her. "Bring him back! I'll even pay you!" I reach into the bad of money and fling gold coins hard at my mom. "Bring him back! I know you can do it!" A coin hits the wall and a crack runs up to the ceiling. Prim's crying and asking me to stop but I kick her away. I just keep wipping coins at the mutts in front of me. Suddenly I feel someones arms restraining me. I didn't notice Gale getting behind me but suddenly he's there and I'm screaming at him to let me go but he only tightens his grip on me. My mom manages to get some kind of needle in me but I've managed to land a solid blow on everyone in the room-even Prim has an angry bruise from where I kicked her. As I feel my eyelids grow heavier I force my mouth to work. "Make sure it's good and strong." I growl at the darkness. "I don't want to wake up again." I know they've heard me because I can feel two more needles find my skin and I finnaly can rest knowing the Games are over.


End file.
